To the Coatesville (Pa.) Area Senior High coaching staff, incoming ninth-grader Tyler Burke seemed “destined” to be the school’s quarterback of the future. Until he suited up for the Red Raiders’ freshman team at linebacker.

On his way to Virginia in January, Johnathan Thomas decided to make a quick stopover at Maryland. The three-star running back from St. John’s Prep in Danvers, Mass., got a tour of the campus and met with coach Randy Edsall, who offered him a scholarship “right on the spot.”

The significance of his commitment to Maryland wasn’t lost on Jared Cohen. The McDonogh offensive lineman is the first Terps pledge in the 2014 class – a group that will never play in the Atlantic Coast Conference.